Show SYNOPSIS tames james lambert tries in vain to dissuade his beautiful foster daughter dau ahter leonora from marrying don mason young ase rolling stone lie he tells tella her unless a house is founded upon a rock it will not survive leonora suspects the influence of her halt half brother ned always jealous of of the girl since the day his father brought her home from the deathbed of her mother abandoned by her ita italian I 1 tan baritone lover don arrives in the midst ml ast dst of the argument and lambert realizes the frank understanding between the tha two sitting up late into the night lambert reviews the whole story of nora as a child at boarding school studying music abroad meeting pon on the return trip in the morning he delivers his uita ultimatum turn to give don a lob job with ned for a years showdown when nora suggests ge ats the possibility ot of running away with don lambert threatens disinheritance don agrees to the job but before a month I 1 is a over hla his nerves ar are a jumpy he cannot sleep at night he Is ia I 1 too ou tired tia to go out much with nora nora soothes him with her music nora grows quieter and broods over don complains to her father of neds spying on him and decides decide that rather than see dons spirit broken she will run rua away she u urges her father to A put t a an n end to the f utile futile experiment james lambert Is obdurate and angry lambert tells her that it if don quits quits she will quit with him that he will be e through with her lie he adds that if she tires of her bargain it will be useless to come to him for or help later don and nora discuss the situation don pron aises to buck up and take life more calm ly IY well stick it out he says with the coming of spring don is full of unrest and wanderlust and takes long walks at night one evening a poor girl s speaks speaks to him and in his pity for her he erives gives her bet mony A car passes at that moment flashes headlights and moves on A terrific heat wave ushers in the summer and nora refuses to go to the country with her father ned meanwhile insinuates to his father about dons evenings away from nora but lambert refuses to listen meanwhile don broods over the undermining of his morale CHAPTER V continued 6 don answered a curious dryness deness in his throat too hot to go out not to mention eating ill say it we had ours sent in but were likely to get it hotter come july father says moving m ving to the country on monday you cant work without lood food mason better skip out and get a bite I 1 his voice trailed off as he came nearer now pausing beside the desk he lifted the newspaper and stared down a while utterly unconscious of dons tense attitude with maddening accuracy his lean white finger found the elusive error youve made a mistake there mason he might have been correcting rec ting some soma small boy that six should have been a sixty see he sauntered idly to the window gazing down at the mass mass of sweltering humanity below while don suppressed a murderous impulse to throw him out but ned had turned again was speaking see here don theres rome thing I 1 feel I 1 ought cosay to say to you the young man braced himself it if its about my work I 1 I 1 can save you the trouble he replied brusquely 1 I know im a dumbbell at this sort ot of thing always alway will be suppose you keep those comments tor for a day when the tha mer burys somewhere below one hundred there are limits you know to what even a cog in this thi s machine can endure without exploding and tor for your s sisters aste iste s sake I 1 prefer to keep my temper ned sat down slowly on an the window ledge he speak tor for a moment and regarding him closely don wondered how many times that morning theman the man had changed his collar the thought made him conscious of his own much arink wrinkled led linen trousers and he slid his long legs under the desk to hide them you happen to be on the wrong track ned replied my comments have nothing whatever io to do with your work here you do as well as most beginners I 1 suppose what I 1 refer to Is a different ma matter ater altogether ive no desire to meddle with your private life mason get that straight but father tells me that nora sends you home early and twice ive caught you nodding by three it stands to reason that a man who ho gets to bed before midnight ought to be able to keep awake through the next day I 1 can only surmise well don prodded ominous quiet in his voice 1 I can only surmise repeated ned that well to speak plainly that you dont go home after you leave nora 1 I see said don he was desperately pera tely angry but making a brave attempt to hold his temper may I 1 ask where your active imagination sees me passing pail sing the night hours ned flushed looking hot thought don tor for the first time that stifling day though he be answered calmly sarcasm wont help mason because as it happens ive got the goods goodson on you do you understand most certainly I 1 do nott make yourself clear please til ill be only too glad to ned spoke briskly as it if concluding some successful business deal 1 I dont like ilki beating about the bush myself and you can cant it deny that you were with another girl late friday evening because I 1 saw you the no hell you didt dons eyes were blazing whits while seven thousand taps imps seemed to be pounding the top ot of his head bead with tiny hammers where he ha was asking himself frantically had he been on friday of course cours ethere there was no girl but he must produce an alibi and he seem to think noras brother was accusing him ot of being untrue to her it was beastly horrible and then he heard ned say a triumphant ring in his usually level voice you dont deny it then perhaps adm admit lt what corinne suspected at the time you were giving her money to the finans man s complete surprise instant relief relict sprang into dons harassed face moneal that girl on the bridge of course coursel I 1 the kid he had talked wiehl those blinding headlights headlight i that had linge lingered red on him so ned lambert an and d his wile wife had haci been behind them cosel what a situations perhaps under the circumstances cum stances it so strange the thing thought about him he said almost laughing in relief yes I 1 gave her money she set ms ma back a whole months board poor eidl you see lie he told the story eagerly excitedly cit edly he told it well it had seemed a colorful experienced experienc ea bit out ot of the heart of life to don he did not realize how it would seem to z ply pr I 1 47 1 I A W CC al v A I 1 1 ned lambert never finished that sentence ned until at its close the man sold said dryly and you really expect to tc put that tha tover over on me mason don stared at him amazement in his eyes petit put it over on youl do do you mean to imply anger was surging through nun him hot waves of anger never had don felt anything just like them he arose slowly vly his dazed head pounding did noras brother actually doubt his word it was unthinkable some hideous mistake he 9 gripped ripp eds a chair his nervous fingers tense as ned who had also risen answered 1 I imply nothing I 1 have no use for or implications in such a matter buffor but for you to expect me to belleve believe that any man in his sense sees a girl tor for the first time the first time mind you and because she tells him a aim flimsy sy sob story hands bands over his whole roll rol lwell well it simply wont go down young fellow ayari A yarn like that hold water people dont meet by chance on bridges and confide their life histories tories to each other not in this age and decent girls dont accept money from complete strangers anyhow I 1 hate to say this mason but after all noras my sister and it if youve been double crossing her running around till morning with some cheap lane jane who fit to ned lambert never finished that sentence something as hard as it was unexpected came in contact with his jaw and he went dewri when furiously he ye regained gained his feet a moment later a white faced don exploded will you take that back damned if I 1 will you lazy take caret carel warned don or get the mate to iti ill he reached for his hat set it ft firmly upun his head well im through here now ive that to thank you for he moved toward the door then turned forcing himself to say look here lambert for noras S sake ake I 1 apologize lor for hitting bitting y you ou though id probably doit do it again under the same provocation but dowell do well to remember that im not noi a liar and if youre unaware thit that your sisters the sort a fellow double cross I 1 advise you to make her acquaintance and I 1 advise you ned thundered his hand nursing an aching law to take the first train out ot of nothing said don with a calm ironic little bow that enraged his adversary would give me greater pleasure good afternoon A sense of joyous release possessed don mason as he closed the door of that hated abed h office behind him in fact he stormed down three flights of stairs before realizing that he was six stories above ground and paused to await an elevator alevato r but as he atoo stood t there h e re watching for a red signal all his bis elat elation ionin in the combat vanished sud denly leaving an almost physical physic ai nausea la in its wake for in those first ecstatic moments he be had forgotten nora now at thought of her his own small triumph was completely lost in in the knowledge that it would make things harder for her ma make ke them indeed well nigh unbearable what had he brought her an anyway away he asked himself save trouble and problems perhaps the kindest thing that he could do was to obey bey her brothers furious command and go away halt half dazed don went out into the midday mid mad day sunlight which beat down pitilessly on his throbbing head yes he would go away leave nora to the life of ease case and luxury that should be her portion but his fighting spirit rising damned it hed go before ashes heard his version ot of this mornings trouble lel and there was no time to lose already ned and his father might be on their way to her but lie he could tele phone prepare the girl for what was coming and it hurt less to say goodby good by it 11 he did not see her hot and breathless though the small booth was don closed the door no one save nora must hear what he had to say if she were out but no that was her own hello com coming ing across the wire lie he said making the words as light as possible that you nora I 1 had to call to tell you some bad news A hall half ho hour urback back I 1 lost my temper knocked down your estimable brother soso so so im on my way there was a silence thew then your your maywhere adi way where donl don anywhere out ot of this cursed city he answered his voice grun gruff i because the bonste consternation in her own had made him a little sick your ayour fathers right nora im no good why im leaving not because his royal highness ordered me out of town remember that but what possessed you ado to do such a thing dora don her voice was steadier now now which gave him courage why I 1 called you nora be said quietly 1 I wanted my side of the story to reach you first I 1 I 1 tried my damnedest darn edest to be fair dear he saw me talking to that girl I 1 told you of the kid I 1 gave the money to you know soon as asi I 1 realized what he was driving at I 1 told hirthe him the whole story but well he believe it nora all I 1 think dons voice was crisp hard brittle brittie recalling the insult hot rage ran over him like little flames said nora kom breathlessly you dont mean you cantrean cant mean don that ned called you a liar not in so many words perhaps out what he said amounted to the same thing oh he had it coming to him noral im not even sorry except tor for your sake hes got the idea firmly planted in his head that after I 1 say goodnight good night to you I 1 well fill in the story for yourself its not pretty but it ft require a great deal of 0 imagination oh dont don he he have me meant a nt thail he did my dear jl i want you to know that I 1 had provocation I 1 apologized afterwards if that matters but ot of course this puts an end to everything there followed a pause a noticeable pause before he heard her say I 1 meaning me don he answered forcing his voice to steadiness im afraid so I 1 cant let you quarrel with your father tor for my sake nora it take two to make a quarrel don vot not with a man like him besides basi Bas basades des ldes what dear only what ive said before I 1 guess hes right about me nora hes shown me up in my true col ors ill never be that important member of society a good provider im just a washout wash out and in the end be better of off if 11 you let me go the girl said after a moment in which so something told her lover that she was ass fighting tears Is that what you want don are you soso weary of everything that I 1 seem a burden this was too much don simply bear it it oh noral he said gently nora my dearl it was the heartbreak in his voice that decided leonora she said drawing a quick breath listen don its all right central I 1 know were talking oyer over time listen dear have you had lunch yeav yet this practical question brought brough t him a little smile as one smiles sometimes in the face of tragedy not yet forgot completely its not every day I 1 knock a fellow down noral and its so BO hot my head Is it still bad its fierce nora well letsome get some bread and milk don you need it this call will wh 1 set you back a whole weeks pay dar darlinge lingO then go to your room and pack ill be outside there in a taxi as soon as possible it if im late wait for me ive got to see you promise wait don what else could he do I 1 asfor As for nora she huggup hung up the receiver and sat quite still tor for a time thinking it seemed incredible that alter after all dons patience and forbearance this was the tha endl end another tragedy for her father how could she bear it happiness tarnished by regrets tor for herself and don yet there was no other way could be no other way for them now james would believe neds version of the encounter ho he would be angry past all forgiving nora knew anything she might say to him would be quite futile use useless lets A scene would only hurt hur them both but could s she be do the easy thing leave him as her mother had done so many years ago with merely a letter of farewell being nora re aring 1 rIng the refuge his arms had buento been to a frightened child who had bad watched with death she could not her father deserved better than that though he would be unyielding norr nora knew how unyielding he would be she arose at last going up the wide staircase slowly almost re luct antly somehow this home had never seemed so dear to her nor so desirable passing her fathers room a moment recall ing the many times a little girl waking waiting to to bad dreams had scam into his big bed for comfort and now nov she must leave him hurt him cruelly would he understand some day would he some day forgive her nora packed slipped into the cool dark dress that would be her izing wedding gown forgot her fathers picture theone the one taken specially tor for her when she went to college opened her suitcase and placed the photograph where it would not be broken A queer hard lump rose in her throat it hurt her she worked fast last so that she would not weep and when all was done stood at the door a while letting her eyes dwell lovingly on every detail of the pretty room her own first room TO BE CONTINUED |